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Upper House censures Prime Minister Fukuda

The House of Councilors on June 11 adopted a nonbinding censure motion against Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo, the first against a prime minister in postwar Japan.

The Democratic, Social Democratic, and Peoplefs New parties jointly introduced the censure in the opposition-controlled upper house. The Japanese Communist Party did not join them but voted in favor of the resolution. The ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties voted against it.

In a speech at the JCP Dietmembersf Group assembly that was held prior to the House of Councilors Plenary Session, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo stated, gPrime Minister Fukuda deserves the censure.h

Shii cited adverse policies Fukuda has imposed on the public since he took office in September last year. gMr. Fukuda has betrayed the public on a series of issues. He has been obsessive about sending troops abroad. He has forced the creation of a health insurance system for elderly people aged 75 and older separate from the existing national health insurance program.h

gThat said, itfs not appropriate to introduce a censure motion at this time. We should choose a better timing for proposing such an important motion because effective results will not forthcoming under the present circumstances,h he added.

Shii also pointed out that although the DPJ is trying to take a lead in introducing the censure, it is not doing what it should to make efforts to conduct debates in the Diet in order to drive the LDP-Komei government into a corner. gThe DPJfs intention of submitting the motion is just another form of party politics,h he said.

A censure motion in the House of Councilors does not have legal binding power, unlike a no-confidence motion against the cabinet in the House of Representatives, but has a certain impact as an expression of the mood in the House of Councilors.